BOSTON — Jayson Tatum scored 51 points – the most in a Game 7 in NBA history — and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 112-88 on Sunday to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year, again against the Miami Heat.
One game after missing 14 of his first 15 shots only to awaken in the fourth quarter in time to save their season, Tatum got off to the fast start the Celtics needed. He scored 25 in the back-and-forth first half and 17 more in Boston's 33-10 third quarter that turned a three-point lead into a runaway.
'You always come into a series with the expectation of how it's supposed to go," said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who is in his first year as an NBA head coach after being promoted on the eve of training camp after Ime Udoka was suspended. "That's not how the playoffs are."
The Celtics, who lost to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals last year, will face the Miami Heat in the East finals, which begin on Wednesday in Boston.
Host Miami defeated the New York Knicks 96-92 on Friday night, winning the series 4-2.
Heat
Heat embracing challenge, finds way to return to Eastern Conference finals
In 2022, Boston defeated Miami in the Eastern Conference finals 4-3 en route to the NBA title.
In 2020, the Heat beat the Celtics 4-2 in the Eastern Conference finals.
Tatum broke the Game 7 record that Golden State's Stephen Curry set with 50 points two weeks ago against Sacramento. The Celtics star added 13 rebounds and Jaylen Brown scored 25 points for Boston, which rallied from a 3-2 deficit in the best-of-seven series to keep alive their hopes for an unprecedented 18th NBA championship.
Tatum was subbed out of the game with three minutes left to a standing ovation from the crowd, which soon broke out in a "Beat the Heat!" chant.
Newly crowned NBA MVP Joel Embiid scored 15 points on 5-for-18 shooting, and Tobias Harris scored 19 for Philadelphia. The Sixers lost in the conference semifinals for the third straight year, and the fifth time in six seasons; they have not gotten any farther since reaching the NBA Finals in 2001 despite "The Process" — tanking their way to four top-three draft picks in a row, including Embiid.
"I thought we had the right group. I really did," said Sixers coach Doc Rivers, who was on the Boston bench when the Celtics won it all in 2008. "We played great all year and this loss absolutely diminishes what we did this year in some way. ... I think this team is headed right. I thought we took another step this season. And then tonight I think we took a step backward. But that's OK. That happens, too."
Tatum started 0 for 6 in a Game 5 loss and missed 14 of his first 15 shots overall from the floor in Game 6 before erupting for four 3-pointers in the final 4:14 to force the decisive seventh game.
He picked up where he left off, scoring Boston’s first basket and 11 points in the first quarter, 14 more in the second and outscoring the Sixers on his own, 17-10, in the third. The 33-10 edge in the third was the most lopsided quarter in a Game 7 since at least 1997.
Brown began the game with the black mask he has worn since breaking a bone in his face before the All-Star break. He took it off and soon absorbed an elbow to the face from James Harden, who was assessed a flagrant foul.
Brown continued without the mask but finished the half with cotton in his left nostril. He also played with an edge, making both foul shots and following it with a steal and layup as Boston went on a 9-0 run to erase a 35-26 deficit.
Brown also dove into the Sixers bench to save a ball, then had words with the bench after Georges Niang grabbed his leg and kept him from getting back on the court. Both players were given technical fouls.
Williams followed the commotion with a layup that tied the score 35-all.
